MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko announces he is returning to the ring

The retired Russian mixed martial arts fighter Fedor Emelianenko says he is considering returning to the ring, with the 38 year-old mentioning he is leaving his position as an advisor to the Russian sports ministry, according to TASS.

Nicknamed the ‘Last
Emperor,’ Emelianenko is widely considered to be one of the
greatest athletes the sport has ever seen. However, following a
three-year absence from MMA, he has decided now might be the time
to return to competitive action.

"It's extremely important for any athlete to do what you
love, to work out during training sessions and to prove yourself
in competition, while representing your country,"
Emelianenko said in the statement published on the website of the
Russian MMA organization.

"I've been working at the ministry of sport and I have
managed to help with the development of martial arts. I have
helped out sports federations and have learnt about problems in
our sport and tried to solve them as best as I could. Now I feel
it’s high time to get back into action,” he added.

It is unknown who the ‘Last Emperor’ may possibly fight in a
comeback, though his return would be highly anticipated within
the world of MMA.

“We are now in the middle of negotiations with promotion
companies. Once we have reached an agreement, there will be
information about the date of the fight and who my opponent will
be,” the 38 year-old said.

He also said that he hopes his return will be a way “to help
other fighters to grow as professionals.”

Emelianenko is a multiple MMA world champion across different
organizations. He won 34 professional fights with only four
losses and one draw – which is an absolute record for the sport.
In just under a decade between December 22, 2000 and June 26,
2010 he was unbeaten in 28 fights.

However, between 2010 and 2012, he suffered three defeats, which
led him to doubt his form. Three victories soon followed, but by
then Emelianenko decided it was time to retire.

"I managed to recover from my old injuries. For the last
three years I have been maintaining my physical shape, but that's
still not enough to compete at the highest level. Therefore I
started to train more intensively recently. We have a good team
who will help me to prepare for the fight," Emelianenko
added.

Aside from MMA, the ‘Last Emperor’ is also a four-time sambo
world champion and won a bronze medal at the Russian judo
championships.